This afternoon I did a cardio kickboxing class for the first time, and it required me to hold small 2-pound dumbells in each hand and punch a bag really hard at the same time. We then moved on to other stuff in the class, and I was fine. Right after the class I pulled out my phone to text, and I couldn't lift my right pinky at all! I tried really hard and it shook terribly but would barely rise. I went into a panic and went home where I still tried to move it with the same results. A few hours later, I can lift it a bit more, but it's still shaking. I'm terrified that this is the beginning of weakness due to the dreaded disease. I think I will wake up tomorrow with a completely useless finger.

Some background: I'm 28 and have twitched body wide for a year and a half, sometimes I twitch while in movement, my arms in particular. If I lift them or use them they twitch sometimes. I have had two clinical exams, two full blood tests and one negative EMG early on but no official BFS diagnosis. I have tried to get over the anxiety and have done better for the most part, but this new inability to lift my pinky has quickly brought me back to a bad state.

Hi Brittany,but you a) still can move your finger a bit b) regained some ability to do it after a while. So it is not a weakness but hopefully rather trauma (from what you describe - I think it really may be one). The fact your finger is shaking rather means it is working but probably you got a bit of ulnar nerve damaged during the excersice. Anyway it is maybe worth to see a surgeon.Please remember that preceding twitches are rare even in ALS (usually it starts from complete loss - and irreversible loss!) of muscle power, and that your age does not support idea of acuired ALS. 1.5 year of twitching is also rather a BFS.